News —

New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returned with the eighth novel in her much-loved series: THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS which was published November 5, 2013.

Friday, January 9th. A middle-of-the-night call wakes Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson and her husband, Police Chief Russ van Alstyne: a farmhouse has erupted in flames, killing the couple sleeping indoors. A tragedy for the Adirondack mountain town of Millers Kill.

But a darker, more evil current quickly emerges…

Clare and Russ's belated honeymoon at an isolated lakeside cabin is meant to give them time to adjust to Clare's unexpected pregnancy. Instead, they learn the dead couple had not been alone – their eight-year-old foster child, Mikayla, has disappeared from the wreckage without a trace. A recent transplant recipient, Mikayla will sicken and die without proper medication.

With the police force overburdened, Officers Hadley Knox and Kevin Flynn must set aside their tangled emotions in order to work together. They have eight days to find Mikayla, after which no drugs will help. But as the weather darkens and an ice storm brews, they face a battle against the elements.

At the lake, Clare and Russ discover the storm isn't the only mortal threat. As nature unleashes her fury, can anyone unpick the trail that leads to Mikayla before her days come to an end?

One Was A Soldier

On a warm September evening in the Millers Kill community center, five veterans sit down in rickety chairs to try to make sense of their experiences in Iraq. What they will find is murder, conspiracy, and the unbreakable ties that bind them to one other and their small Adirondack town.

“Spencer-Fleming explores a serious societal issue - the reentry problems of soldiers home from combat… while concocting an an absolutely irresistible combination of crime fiction and romance… this is a surefire winner. This series, as intelligent as it is enthralling, just keeps getting better.”
—Booklist

The Rev. Clare Fergusson wants to forget the things she saw as a combat helicopter pilot and concentrate on her relationship with Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne. MP Eric McCrea needs to control the explosive anger threatening his job as a police officer. Will Ellis, high school track star, faces the reality of life as a double amputee. Orthopedist Trip Stillman is denying the extent of his traumatic brain injury. And bookkeeper Tally McNabb wrestles with guilt over the in-country affair that may derail her marriage.

Will Ellis is looking for some reason to keep on living after losing both legs to an IED. Tally McNabb has brought home a secret—a fatal one. Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne just wants Clare to settle down and get married—to him. But when he rules Tally McNabb’s death a suicide, Clare sides with the other vets against him. Russ and Clare’s unorthodox investigation will uncover a trail of deceit that runs from their tiny Adirondack town to the upper ranks of the Army, and from the waters of the Millers Kill to the unforgiving streets of Baghdad.

But coming home is harder than it looks. One vet will struggle with drugs and alcohol. One will lose his family and friends. One will die. More »

“THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS is both a powerful psychological thriller and a pulse-pounding action adventure that shows us once again why Julia Spencer-Fleming is one of our finest writers of suspense.”
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Paranoia and Buried Secrets

“Whenever I finish a Julia Spencer-Fleming book, I rush out to see when I can get the next one. Then I go back and re-read the whole series from scratch. The Clare and Russ books are among those rare reads that you can go back to again and again and again. No one mixes edge of your seat suspense with heart-tugging emotion like Julia Spencer-Fleming. THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS delivers another signature brew of riveting plot twists and deep character development.”
—Lauren WIllig, New York Times bestselling author of The Passion of the Purple Plumeria

“THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS is an exceptionally fine addition to an already
accomplished series. Julia Spencer-Fleming is one of mystery fiction's treasures.”
—John Connolly, New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Parker series

“This novel, the eighth starring Clare Fergusson and Russ van Alstyne, is among the best in the series, combining steady action with complex, sympathetic characters and an immersive setting. Readers seeking tales of city crime reaching small towns will love the well-crafted setting and story but shouldn’t expect a cozy; there’s plenty of grit here.”
—BOOKLIST (starred)

the Narthex

Paul Doiron is an honest-to-goodness Maine Guide, one of Maine's legendary corps of woodsmen (and women), as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Downeast Magazine, "The Magazine of Maine". His critically acclaimed Mike Bowditch mysteries are more Carolyn Chute than L.L. Bean. Read my interview with Paul, or visit his website at www.pauldoiron.com.

James Hayman lives on an island off the Maine coast. He bolstered his knowledge of police procedure with the cooperation of local Maine law enforcement agencies to create Mike McCabe, a New York City cop (we'd say he's from away) who finds himself solving crimes in Portland, Maine. Enjoy my interview with Jim, or visit his website at www.jameshaymanthrillers.com.

Mysterious sites to visit

Here are some sites well worth a visit for the resources they offer to mystery, suspense, thriller fans and for the services which they furnish to the mystery world.

One of the best reader-oriented mystery magazines available. Sponsor of the Barry awards, Deadly Pleasures' specialty is reviews, reviews and more reviews, covering everything from the biggest names in crime fiction to writers so new the ink is barely dry on their manuscripts. From the gentlest cozy to the meanest hard-boiled, you'll find it in Deadly Pleasures Magazine.

Jon and Ruth Jordan of crimespree Magazine asked me to submit a regular column. This deadline stuff is still tricky, but for these guys, and all they do for the crime genre, I'll give it a go anytime! The column is entitled "Spencer-Fleming for Hire". If you don't already subscribe to crimespree, do check it out. Check out my crimespree columns.

Mysterious Maine

The Pine Tree State has more terrific crime fiction writers per capita than any place I know...it must be the long winters. I'll be featuring interviews with some of Maine's finest writing talent this Winter, so thanks for stopping by to check it out!